Living for The Here and Now
by NoraSpider-Girl
Summary: She was dead. He'd known this, for so many years he'd known it, but before seeing her burial place, he could always just lie to himself and say there had been some mess-up and Raine was still alive somewhere...


Laguna cringed as another door was shut as he approached with Ellone. "They hate me Elle." He announced, not caring who heard. "We should have just landed on the other side of town."

"The rain made the ground too soft to land safely, I'm sorry." Ellone said quietly, fingering the wildflower bouquet she had picked on the way into town.

Laguna softened and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Sorry to be so sour Elle, I just don't understand these people. Keeping a grudge for eighteen years, not even having a reason to dislike me in the first place."

She smiled a bit. "It's okay. Most of them don't even know why they don't like you anymore. They're just crotchety."

Laguna was able to smirk at that, but no more. He was stressed from all the work being pushed on him with the Sorceress War, emotional about the son he'd never knew he had, and depressed all over again about his greatest loss yet. The one mistake he could never fix. Raine. He sighed.

Ellone followed right beside him, never a step behind nor in front. Matching the much taller man's pace easily. She linked her arm though his. Hearing his heavy sigh, she resisted the urge to sigh as well. Laguna had been very moody lately. And now it was rare to see a smile from him. Mister happy sunshine man wasn't very happy or sunny anymore. Just stormy. She wished she could tell him everything was going to start looking up soon, but she couldn't with good conscience. Even though she could see into the past, the future was always unclear to her. And it made her crazy sometimes.

Finally, after many closed curtains or doors, or just people gaping, they made it out of the town and were confronted with an open field. It was early summer and the weather was perfect, other than the soggy ground from a large storm that had passed through the night before.

There were little pink flowers dotting the bright green grass, a few small trees scattered haphazardly across the field. The wind stirred up the pink petals and sent them flying through the air. The breeze played with Ellone's green shawl and her's and Laguna's hair, making it fly everywhere.

"You ready?" She asked her 'Uncle' Laguna.

He nodded once. "You lead the way." She took note of the tears in his eyes, and combined with his bangs all in his face, he probably could not see. Ellone guided him up a path only her eyes could see. One not to hard to find, but not to easy either.

Laguna let himself be guided through the grassy hills. Since he couldn't see very well, and his thoughts were even fuzzier, it was probably even a good idea. Ellone led him right to where he wanted to go. Where he'd _been _wanting to go for way too long. Now he finally had the courage to do it. Ellone sank to the ground on her knees. Laguna crouched down beside her. He forced himself to read the tombstone in front of him.

Raine Loire

That woman gave her son her maiden name, making it impossible to find him. The same woman puts her husband's name on her tomb, making it impossible to find that as well. Raine, you headstrong _dork_.

The tears fell from his eyes now. She was dead. He'd known this, for so many years he'd known it, but before seeing her burial place, he could always just lie to himself and say there had been some mess-up and Raine was still alive somewhere.

But here she was, under the very soil Laguna and Ellone were crouched upon.

Ellone couldn't stand to see her Uncle cry. It made her want to pull her hair out trying not to just knock him out and send him somewhere happy. But she couldn't always do that. She bit her lip and grabbed the bouquet and wrapped his hands around it, then wrapped her hands around his. She led his hands to the slab of stone and released his hands. He let the flowers fall and put both hands on the stone. He leaned forward and broke into sobs. Before he had been keeping himself in check, now he was out of it.

Ellone stood up and brushed the dirt off her white skirt. She kissed him on the head and went to sit under a nearby tree. He would come to her when he was ready.

Laguna leaned forward and let his head touch the cool marble. He let out one sob, just one sob, and it broke whatever had been holding back the rest. He sobbed for his wife that he had left alone. The one he loved so dearly. He missed her sorely. Every antagonizing day of his life.

"Raine..." He said through a broken sob. "Raine, I miss you so much."

He pulled himself up and blinked the tears out of his eyes. There would be one day he saw her again, and would never have to let her go. He was getting older, that day must not be too far off. He walked over to Ellone and sat down beside her.

"I love you." He said as he pulled her into a sudden and crushing hug.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling like three year old Elle that didn't want to go to bed, so she threw herself at Uncle Laguna. "I love you too." She said into his ear.

Laguna pulled her back and pecked her on the forehead. "There will be someday when I see Raine again. She'll call me when it's that time. But before then, I have you, and Squall, and Rinoa, and with the way they're going, grandkids!" They laughed. "So let's go home."

She nodded and stood with him, and walked back to the town, not once letting her eyes stray from the man's first genuine smile in at least two weeks.

_**A/N: **I got this idea from looking at a drawing. Sorry about the kinda cut off ending, but I'm tired. This is an insomnia inspired drabble people. I think it was kinda heartbreaking, but in two ways. Number one: Super sad I miss her kinda way. Two: That's so sweet he's the awesomeest dad ever._

_Which by the way, he is the AWESOMEST DAD OF ALL TIME. I . adore. Laguna. :3_

_**EDIT: **Fixed a few spelling errors, but don't have the motivation to re-write it XD_


End file.
